Our son eats steamed carrots with no problem, I've always peeled and used normal size carrots. In a hurry I grabbed a bag of mini carrots and steamed them but he refused to eat them. Later he did have a red rash around his mouth where some carrots had touched after he spit them out.

A friend told me to look up what is on the mini carrots as she was sure she'd heard chemicals were used to keep their colour. I am shocked to realize that cholorine is used ...gross!

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The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots - most people probably know this already.

What you may not know and should know is the following:
Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to preserve them. (this is the same chlorine used in your pool).

Since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine.

You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots. This is the chlorine which resurfaces.

People with corn allergy have a terrible time with these carrots because of the corn derived citric that is also commonly used to treat/preserve them. It's best to stick to whole, hopefully untreated carrots.

Eldi, thank you too for the link. My gosh, who knew there was so much involved in chopping up some crooked carrots! Reading that article beginning to end left my me feeling like I read a tongue (brain) twister. I'm keeping my veggie peeler and sticking to preparing my carrots the good old fashioned way

Yes, it is very frightening to read these kinds of articles (especially for those of us with severe food allergies) that explain what is being done to our food supply. In the end, it's all about money. Well...it also has to do with the fact that people are conditioned to think that crooked carrots are somehow "wrong". Making them into perfectly shaped, bright orange, cute baby carrots and packaging them into ready to serve bags makes them more appealing to most. I for one grow my own carrots and yes...you get a lot of mis-shapen carrots but they still taste good and I won't have a major reaction from eating them.

Yikes. Once when my husband had bought baby carrots and my mom saw them in our fridge, she had indicated concern - saying they have to add something to keep them fresh looking after they'd been peeled. I dismissed her concern, saying the label said something like Ingredients: carrots, and had no other chemical or additive listed. . .

I wouldn't normally buy them, but will be telling hubby not to as well.

A friend buys these pre-sliced apples that come with some kind of a dip. I've wondered before and now I'm really curious about what they process the fruit in to keep it from brownig? I imagine it will make my stomach churn to find out.

When I send sliced apples as a preschool snack, I always soak them in a salt water solution to keep them from browning. Lemon juice also works, but somehow I doubt the companies are using either of these safe solutions. . . .

Citric acid is what is used to keep the colour and texture of fresh cut (as well as frozen/canned) fruits and vegetables. The citric acid is made from corn and is a major hazard for people with a corn allergy. Even FRESH/unprocessed produce can be rinsed in the stuff to keep it fresh looking longer! It's like playing russian roulette with food...you never know when you will get corned...

Thank goodness for farmers markets (and my garden). Our motto is that if there is still dirt on it then it is likely safe for corn allergies...

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